The Score
by Skate-815
Summary: Mickey and co. attempt to con a drug dealer. will they suceed? Contains the bill characters Phil Hunter, Sam Nixon and Zain Nadir. there's hints of DannyStacie. Rating T to be safe. NOW COMPLETE
1. The Plan

A/n- This is just something I'm trying out. If I can't think of anything to write, I'll probably not continue it. It's part one of a two parter thing I'm thinking about doing, the other part being in the bill section. It's going to be about a score Mickey's gang are trying to do and the other part will be the same score, only from the police's perspective. Don't worry if you don't know anything about the bill, because it can be read as just a standalone Hustle story. It's set during the first season of Hustle.

**The score**

**Chapter 1**

"Any questions?" Mickey asked, looking around his crew. His family. "No? Good." They'd been planning a score on a local drug dealer, Matthew Hendon, and Mickey wanted NO screw ups. Especially from Danny. Despite being part of Mickey's gang for almost a year, he still managed to make mistakes. Too many of them, but Mickey had to admit, his grift sense was incredible. Sometimes even better than his own, but of course, he would never admit that.

This con would be dangerous. He'd individually asked every member of his team if they were willing, and they'd all agreed that it would be worth it in the long run. Mickey had always disliked drug dealers, but he'd never conned one before, knowing that they had powerful contacts, and any mistake could be deadly. But this one was different. Hendon sold drugs to anyone who had the money. Stacie had spotted him selling them to children as young as the age of ten.

The drugs weren't the only reason to get involved though. Mickey had known and disliked this man for a long time before deciding to make him their new mark. The real reason for his change of heart was Eddie. Hendon had come bursting into Eddie's bar after hours one night, demanding free drinks. When Eddie had objected, he'd beat him to a pulp. This was over a week ago, and he was still in hospital. No-one hurt his friends and got away with it.

It was all planned out. As usual, Ash would be the fixer, but Albert wouldn't be the roper. It just wasn't realistic to have a man of Albert's age involved in drugs. They'd decided it would probably be best having Stacie approach him. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't be involved. Hendon knew him. It would jeopardize the whole con. So he had to rely on Danny to be the inside man. He was hoping he wouldn't screw this up. For their own safety.

Another problem was, Mickey was sure the police were watching him again. Although this could prove useful in getting rid of Hendon, it could also be risky. Mickey really didn't like leaving it in Danny's hands but he really had no other choice.

It certainly didn't help that the plan wasn't that great. It was simple. Stacie would approach Hendon and pretend to be a dealer too. Ash would teach her everything she would need to know. She would then introduce him to Danny, who would try to get them both interested in a big delivery of drugs. Ash would acquire a large enough amount of drugs to keep Hendon in prison for a long time, leave them at the delivery point, and Mickey would call the police when he was sure Hendon had them. So many things could go wrong, but it would be worth it, just to put Hendon away.

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Like it? Hate it? Tell me in your reviews! Please review! lol


	2. thinking

**The Score Chapter 2**

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews; this is probably the most reviews I've ever had for one chapter so keep up the reviewing! Lol **

Mickey gazed around the room at his team. Ash was pacing up and down the room, on the phone to someone. Albert was playing a card game with Stacie. Stacie was of course losing. Danny was on the laptop. He was supposed to be looking up all he could find about drug dealers, to help him get into the part, but Mickey knew he was probably playing games. Danny had a lot of qualities that were needed to be a grifter, but patience was not one of them. In any normal situation, Mickey would have yelled at him, and made sure he got back to serious work. Not today. Everyone was on edge as it was. _And,_ Mickey reminded himself _Danny's never let me down when it really mattered. He'll pull it off in the end. _

Stacie got up off the sofa and came to stand behind Danny. Danny smiled shyly and got back to real work. If anything could motivate Danny to work, it was Stacie. Mickey new this, and regularly used it to his advantage. He knew Danny liked Stacie, a lot, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. It didn't matter though. Stacie was adamant that she wouldn't screw people she worked with. And unfortunately, that included him too.

Mickey was woken from his thoughts by Ash's voice

"Mick, I've got a supply of drugs waiting to be bought, but we don't have much cash"

"Right, we'll just have to raise some then" he said, standing up. Ash got to his feet too.

"Are you coming Danny? Or are you just going to lie around all day playing solitaire?"

"I'm coming" he said, standing up quickly

"I'll help Danny" Stacie said

"Okay" Mickey agreed, ignoring the twinge of jealousy he felt "Let's go"


	3. Raising Money

**Chapter 3 **

**A/N- Sorry for not updating in ages. I was on holiday and then I just sort of forgot about it. **

Danny stepped out onto the busy street, surveying the area around him, hoping for an opportunity to get some money, fast. He turned his head, seeing Stacie approach and racked his brains even harder for inspiration, hoping to impress Stacie instead of relying on her to bail him out.

"So what's the plan?" she asked him

"Well… you go over there and get me that table, and I'll do some card games 'til one of us thinks of something better." He sighed, wishing he could think of something more inventive. Stacie nodded and walked across the busy road to get it. Danny suddenly had a feeling like he was being watched, and sure enough, as he gazed along the row of parked cars, he noticed there were two people sitting in one, gazing intently at him. He frowned, recognizing one, but he didn't have a clue where from. The woman, the one he knew, had shoulder length, blonde hair and looked to be in her 40s. The man beside her looked slightly younger and had short brown hair. They were both wearing suits and looked like they were on their way to work.

"What's wrong?" Stacie asked him, lugging the table behind her.

"Nothing" Danny shook off the uneasy feeling he'd gotten when he'd seen the people. "Can you go get me some 'customers'?"

"Yeah, okay" she said, confused at Danny's distracted behavior. Then she too felt a strange feeling like she was being watched, but ignored it and before long, both she and Danny had forgotten it as he began his 'find the lady' card trick. She sighed, knowing that this particular con wouldn't earn them much, and hoped Ash, Mickey and Albert were having better luck.

**A/N2: I know, it's _another _short chapter, but I just can't seem to get into this fic. Despite that, review please! I'll try to make the next one longer.**


	4. Conversations with a cop

**Chapter 4**

**Thanks for your review sn0zb0z and Shiftholder. I want 3 reviews, positive or negative for this chapter before I update it again ;). I know this really should be longer, but I find it difficult to write fics that aren't the Bill. Maybe the Bill half of the ff will be better if I ever get around to writing it,**

"Right, who's next?" Danny asked not looking up as he shuffled his cards

"I am" a female voice said

"Right, the games simple, all you have to do is find the Queen out of these 3 cards" he showed them to his customer, spread them out on the table and started swapping them around, glancing up as he did so. He froze suddenly as he realized it was the blonde woman from earlier. The one who'd been watching him from within the car. He glanced around uneasily, scanning the crowds that had gathered for the man, but he couldn't spot him, or the car anywhere.

"Is there a problem?" she asked. Danny cleared his throat, nervous, but not understanding why.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" he asked, trying to place her. The woman smiled,

"Maybe. But I know you Danny. I know all about you and your gang." Danny's eyes widened in shock

"You're… you're not a cop, are you?"

"Yes Danny, I am" she said with a pleasant smile. She extended her hand "DS Samantha Nixon." Danny stared at her hand, but didn't shake it.

"And what are you doing here, DS Nixon?"

"I was just wondering if there's anything you could tell me about the assault in the bar that your gang frequents."

"I didn't do it" Danny blurted out

"We know that Danny. I was just wondering if you could tell us who did." Danny looked around quickly, hoping Stacie would appear, but she was no-where in sight. "My colleague, DS Hunter is talking to Stacie at the minute" DS Nixon told him, seeing his glances. Danny began to feel irrationally afraid again. This police woman seemed nice enough. However, he'd been in the business long enough to know you could _never_ trust a copper. If he wasn't careful, they could try to pin Eddie's attack on him. If he told them what they wanted to know, if he told them it was Hendon, he was pretty sure Mickey wouldn't be pleased. Hendon would probably pretend it wasn't him and buy himself an alibi anyway so it would all be a waste of time. It would be better to just play the con.

"I don't know anything" he said, looking her straight in the eye. If there was one thing Danny Blue could do well, it was lie. She wasn't convinced though.

"If you do learn anything, here's my card. Give me a call" Danny didn't reply, just accepted the card and shoved it into his pocket.

"Is that all?" he asked impatiently "Because I've got people waiting" he gestured to the people, still waiting to beat his trick.

"That's all for now" she began to leave, then paused, "Oh and Danny, if you're not going to play fairly, don't play at all." She said

"What do you mean?" he asked. She didn't reply, just silently flipped over all 3 cards to show that the Queen was no longer on the table, before walking away.

"He's a cheat!" Someone shouted from the crowd. Danny swore under his breath, gathered up all his cards and ran for the safety of the hotel.

**Those who watch The Bill may have recognized the police officer. She and Phil Hunter will be the main police characters investigating. I might even throw in Zain Nadir, depends what mood I'm in when I write the next chapter. **

**Don't forget to review!**


	5. Jealous?

**A/N- Again, thanks for reviewing to sn0zb0z, Hannah, Josephine78, Phoenix Angelwolf and Samantha Nixon :D Your reviews are greatly appreciated, so can everyone please review this chapter too :D. **

**As promised, I have begun to write a bill version of this story and chapter one of it can be reached through my profile if anyone's intertested. It's called "Settling the Score"- thanks to Vikki for the title by the way.**

Chapter 5

"How much did you get?" Mickey asked his as Danny darted inside the room

"Not much" Danny replied, sounding breathless, "There was a cop outside. Do you think they're watching us again?" Mickey didn't answer right away; unsure whether he should worry Danny and the rest of the gang with the information he had received telling him the cops were indeed watching.

"Yeah, they are" he finally admitted

"And you didn't think it would be a good idea to tell us?" Danny asked, sounding angry

"I didn't think it mattered"

"Of course it matters!" Danny snapped. Mickey opened his mouth to answer, and then paused, looking around the room

"Where's Stacie?" he finally said

"She's talking to the cops"

"Why?" Mickey's voice was low and dangerous

"Relax Mickey; they only want to know about Eddie's attack for now. Anyway I was talking to one myself. She gave me her card. Could be useful in the Hendon thing" he dug it out of his pocket and handed it to Mickey. Mickey sighed and put it in a drawer, hoping it could come in handy later. This whole operation would become more difficult with the police sticking their noses in where they didn't belong.

"Hey, I can see Stacie and the cop from the window!" Danny called over; Mickey was beside him in an instant, hoping to get a good look at the enemy. They spotted him out the window, he was tall with brown hair and he was wearing a pinstripe suit. He was also standing very close to Stacie and he had his hand on her shoulder. She was laughing though and he smiled at her.

"Is he flirting with her?" Danny said in disbelief

"Looks like it" Mickey replied, sounding equally shocked. They continued to stare out the window at them until Stacie left the police man and headed in the door of the hotel. At this point, both of them tore themselves away from the window. Mickey sat down on a chair and Danny headed into the kitchen, trying to pretend he wasn't bothered by handsome men flirting with Stacie. In a matter of minutes, she was in their room again.

"Who were you talking to?" Mickey asked as soon as she came in the door

"A policeman" she said innocently, taking off her coat

"And why was his hand on your shoulder?"

"Were you watching me?" Stacie asked him, sounding shocked. Mickey looked panicked for a second, before quickly saying

"Danny said that the police were talking to you. We were just concerned."

"We? And who exactly would 'we' be?"

"Danny and I."

"Danny, get in here!" Stacie yelled. Danny trudged in slowly, like a dog with its tail between its legs.

"Yeah?" he asked, acting like he hadn't been listening in on her and Mickey's conversation

"Who gave you two the right to watch me? I can look after myself, you know"

"We know Stace, it's just we were worried about the cops in case they ruin our con, that's all. We know you can look after yourself" Danny said soothingly.

"Ok" Stacie sighed

"So what happened?" Mickey asked, "Apart from the flirting I mean" Stacie glared at him, but answered anyway

"Phil just wanted to know what we knew about Eddie's attack"

"You're calling a policeman by his first name? He's the enemy, remember!" Danny exclaimed

"He was just being friendly. And he's not the enemy in this case, Hendon is, remember?"

"So what did you tell him?" Mickey said impatiently

"Just that we didn't know anything."

"And that was it?"

"Yes! You know what? I am so sick of you two acting jealous every time any competition comes near! Id never go out with a cop and you know it!"

"I wasn't jealous" Danny and Mickey both said simultaneously

"Whatever" Stacie said, rolling her eyes, picking up her coat and walking out, slamming the door behind her.

**A/N: The police-man is another Bill character that some people may recognise- DS Phil Hunter.**


	6. Arguements

Chapter 6

"Well done Danny" Mickey said sarcastically after Stacie left.

"It wasn't my fault!" Danny shouted

"You were the one who let her talk to that cop"

"I didn't _let_ her do anything; anyway, she can do what she likes"

"I know" Mickey said, sighing and sitting down in an armchair, "It's just things get so much more difficult when we argue. Especially if there's a cop involved. I'm sorry I blamed you"

"It's okay" Danny said, sliding into the chair next to his, "So what should we do now?"

"She'll come back when she's calmed down a bit. I think we should just wait until Ash and Albert bring back some cash. Then we can work out where to go from there." Danny just nodded, still more than slightly annoyed at himself for hurting Stacie's feelings and very annoyed at Mickey for blaming him. He reached for the remote control and flicked on the TV. Mickey lifted his head and stared at the screen too, but both knew that neither was really watching the chat show. Danny knew he had no interest in hearing about a woman who'd slept with her sister's boyfriend and was pretty sure Mickey wouldn't either, yet neither made any move to change the channel. The TV was just on as a welcome distraction from each other, because they both knew that if they were to engage in any form of communication, it would most likely end in an argument. So they sat in a stony silence until Ash opened the door, ten minutes later. Mickey glanced up as he entered

"How much did you get?"

"Lots" Ash grinned, opening his jacket and watching the money spill out. It was only when he noticed the others' lack of enthusiasm he asked,

"What's up with you two?"

"Nothing" they both answered at once

"Whatever you say. Where's Stacie?" He looked from one to the other. When he received no answer he said, "Oh, so that's why you're in such a bad mood. You've upset Stacie and you're feeling guilty. So what happened?"

"She was outside talking to a cop and Mickey overreacted" Danny explained

"I didn't overreact! She was flirting with him!"

"Right" said Ash with a disbelieving expression on his face, "Anyway, it doesn't matter what Danny and Albert managed to get, I've probably got enough to get us what we need."

"Where is Albert anyway?" Danny asked, looking at his watch, "Shouldn't he have been back by now"

"He'll be fine" Mickey said, "He's probably just lost track of the time." Just as he finished speaking, the phone rang and Ash picked it up.

"Hello?" he answered

"Is this Michael Stone speaking?" a male voice asked

"No, he's busy right now, can I take a message?" Ash said, instantly suspicious of anyone who called Mickey "Michael". And anyway, he and Danny had resumed arguing, so technically he hadn't been lying when he said he was busy. "Hold on a minute" he said into the phone, unable to hear the speaker over the din Mickey and Danny were making, so he walked into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him. Danny and Mickey didn't even notice he'd gone, and continued shouting,

"For the last time, it wasn't my fault!" Danny yelled, speaking about a failed con from a few months back. Just then, Ash, re-entered the room, looking pale,

"We have a problem" he said. Mickey and Danny either ignored him or didn't hear as neither so much as glanced at him

"Then whose fault was it?" Mickey snapped

"Guys" Ash raised his voice slightly

"I don't know, but it wasn't mine" Danny shouted back

"Shut up!" Ash shouted loudly, "Both of you, just shut up and listen for a second, will you?" Mickey and Danny both fell silent, surprised at Ash's sudden outburst. "That was the police on the phone." He began

"It's okay, we know they're watching us" Danny interrupted

"It's not that. They were calling from the hospital."

"Is it Albert?" Mickey asked, fear crossing his face

"No. It's Stacie. She was stabbed while walking in the park. They don't have any suspects, but I think we know who did it"

"Hendon" Mickey said, sinking into a chair, looking ill. Danny was also looking unsteady on his feet.

"Come on, let's find Albert and go to the hospital" Ash said, walking out, Danny and Mickey close on his heels.


	7. DC Zain Nadir

**A/N: Thanks to Vikki and Hannah for reviewing my prevoius chapter! All reviews are appreciated for this one.**

Chapter 7

"You can see her now" the nurse said, emerging from Stacie's hospital room. Mickey stood up quickly, eager to make sure Stacie would be okay. Ash had also leapt to his feet the minute the nurse had said spoken. Danny, who had been pacing the small waiting room, had immediately started walking towards her room. Mickey quickly followed and the three men stood quietly by the door, unsure whether to go in or not as she looked to be asleep. She rolled over and muttered

"Are you boys coming in or are you just going to stand staring at me all day?"

"Stacie!" Danny exclaimed instantly and rushed over to the seat beside her bed

"We were worried about you. I'm definitely going to have to start taking out medical insurance now" Mickey joked, sitting down on her other side. Ash sat down on the end of the bed.

"So where's Albert?" she asked

"We don't know. He didn't come back. I left a message to come down here in the flat" Ash explained. They fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence.

"So what happened?" Mickey finally asked.

"Yes, I would like to know that as well" said a voice from the door. They all turned around to see a tall man with black hair wearing a pink shirt with a black jacket.

"And you are?" Danny asked

"DC Zain Nadir, from Sunhill CID"

"That's all we need, more cops" Danny muttered. Mickey nodded his head in agreement. Stacie rolled her eyes. She really didn't want to listen to more jealousy from her friends.

"Nice to meet you Zain" she smiled, just a little flirtatiously. He smiled back, showing his gleaming white teeth. Danny stood up to give the policeman his seat and walked around to stand beside Mickey

"Why do all the cops we meet have to flirt with her?" Mickey muttered. Danny just shrugged, glaring at the policeman.

"So what happened?" Zain asked again, taking out his notebook.

"I was in the park. I'd just had a falling out with my friends," she explained, nodding her head in Mickey and Danny's direction, "And all of a sudden, this boy jumped out at me with a knife. He told me to hand over all the money I had and when I told him I didn't have any, he stabbed me. Then everything went black" She finished.

"Right" Zain said, writing it all down, "Can you describe your attacker?"

"He was a white teenager. He looked about 5ft 5 and he was wearing a red hoody and a cap."

"Okay. I'll see what I can do. Call me if you need anything" he said, standing up and leaving the room. Mickey held out his hand for the card, but Stacie ignored him and put it in her the drawer of her bedside table.

"You're not seriously going to call him are you?" Mickey said

"Maybe… He is pretty good looking" she said, staring down the corridor after him

"What about what you said about never dating a cop?" Danny said, staring at her in disbelief.

"That was before I met Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome" Stacie said, with a faraway look in her eye. Then she burst out laughing when she saw the looks on Danny and Mickey's faces.

"Relax, I was joking!" Mickey and Danny both visibly relaxed when she said that.

"So how much of what you told him was true?" Mickey said, changing the subject

"Well I did have an argument with you… and I was in the park… and I got stabbed." Stacie laughed

"So who was it really?" Danny said, looking completely serious

"It was one of Hendon's men. Frank Mitchell. He said Hendon knew what we were doing and to stay away from him"

"That's it then, the cons off. We can't risk anyone else being hurt" Mickey said

"We can't just let him get away with hurting Stacie!" Danny protested

"Well what do you expect me to do? He clearly knows everyone in the gang! He's going to suspect anything we do. I'm not going to let him hurt anyone else."

"If being recognised is the problem" a voice said from the door, "I have the perfect solution"

**A/N: Well it isnt quite as big a cliffhanger as before, but I'm not really sure where to go from here. In your reviews, tell me who you think is at the door and I may take that into account when writing the next chapter. I already have an idea but if another persons popular, I'll probably do that instead. **

**By the way, DC Zain Nadir was not made up by me, he is also in The Bill. (And Stacie's right, he's very good looking ;) )**


	8. Albert

**A/N: Much thanks to all my lovely reviewers- Vikki, Hannah-romance, X-Kate-X and snozboz. I love you all :D lol. As for the man at the door, when I wrote the last chapter, I had two people in mind and I decided to wait and see what the majority of people said and go with that. It was a 2-1 split, so I went with the majority, sorry Vikki lol. ;)**

Chapter 8

They all turned around immediately to Albert standing at the door.

"Where've you been?" Mickey asked, "We were worried about you."

"I was looking for information on the enemy." Albert explained, "Now I hear you're thinking about giving up"

"Look what he did" Mickey said, gesturing at Stacie

"All the more reason to go through with it… as long as we can guarantee no one else gets hurt."

"And how can we?"

"By using someone else as the inside man"

"Who have you got in mind?" Mickey asked, a slow smile spreading across his face. Albert hesitated before answering

"You're not going to like it," he began, "But just hear me out"

"Okay" Mickey said

"I believe that you had a visitor, just before I arrived Stacie"

"No. Just Mickey, Danny and Ash." Stacie said, looking confused

"And there was that cop" Danny added, "But you couldn't mean him"

"That's exactly who I mean" Albert confirmed. The smile faded from Mickey's face instantly.

"We are not using a cop as an inside man" he said firmly

"Now don't be so quick to judge" Albert said quickly. "You said you needed someone who wouldn't be recognized and Mr. Nadir might just be the man."

"You taught me that you could never trust cops" Mickey said

"I'm with Mickey, he would rat us out the first chance he gets." Danny said.

"I don't know" Stacie said uncertainly, "He seemed alright."

"You just think he's good looking" Danny butted in. Ash who had remained silent since Albert arrived spoke up,

"Why do you think you can trust him Albert?"

"Oh I don't think he can be trusted at all, however we may find a mutually beneficial deal. The police want to know who attacked Eddie. We can give him that information. And now, of course, they'll be after whoever attacked you Stacie. We know that too. I have my resources and they say that DC Nadir isn't exactly orthodox in his policing methods. He specialises in undercover policing and he isn't afraid to bend the rules to get what he wants. He'd be perfect."

"And you think he'll agree to this?" Ash asked sceptically, "How do you know he won't just take the information and run?"

"Because, he knows, just like us, that neither assault charge will stick to Hendon. That he'll be back on the streets in a matter of hours. He'll want a lasting result, just like us, and he'll agree that drugs will be the way to get to him. Plus, we could give him a small cut of the profit we make…" Albert finished. Suddenly, everyone turned to look at Mickey,

"Of course, it's your call Mickey. If you still want to drop it, then by all means, do so, but if you want revenge, if you want to make him pay for what he's done to Stacie, then we need to use DC Nadir." Albert said. Mickey looked at everyone one by one, still uncertain. He couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt. However, if it was the copper in the firing line, it wouldn't matter, would it? However, what if the cop, this DC Nadir guy had a family that would be affected greatly if he got seriously injured? Could Mickey live with that guilt?

"He's a loner" Albert said, reading his expression, "No wife, no kids, and no girlfriend. And he won't get hurt if we can help it."

"Fine" Mickey sighed in defeat, "but don't say I didn't warn you when this all goes wrong." Stacie began hunting in her drawer for the policeman's card and handed it to Mickey when she found it. He sighed as he went to find a pay phone. He could already tell this was going to go very, very wrong.

**A/N: Well, that's another chapter done! Like it? Hate it? Tell me why in your reviews :D**


	9. A proposition

**A/N: A big thank you to my reviewers- sn0zb0z, Vikki and X-Kate-X. Please review this chapter as well :D**

Chapter 9

"DC Nadir" the voice on the other end said

"This is Michael Stone, Stacie Monroe's friend." Mickey said, "I was wondering if you were free to listen to a… business proposition I have for you." There was a pause on the other end, and Mickey could hear muffled voices in the background. Finally, DC Nadir said,

"I'll be at the hospital in fifteen minutes," before hanging up.

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Mickey returned to Stacie's hospital room.

"Well?" Albert asked.

"He's coming" Mickey said, sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. "But I'm still not happy about this"

"He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it" Albert assured him, although he was secretly wondering if he could give any form of protection to the undercover cop.

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Twenty five minutes later, DC Zain Nadir returned to the room.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming" Mickey said irritably.

"Traffic" he replied shortly, "So what's this proposition?" All five con artists glanced at one another, each having their own personal doubts about asking the detective for his help. Finally, Albert spoke,

"What we say to you now will have to be off the record."

"Okay" he said, sitting down on a chair next to the door, waiting for him to go on.

"I hear that you specialise in undercover work" Albert began, "Frankly, we know that you know what we are, what we do, and we want you to pose as one of us in order to reach a mutually beneficial result."

"So you're admitting to being con artists?" he sounded disbelieving. Danny and Mickey exchanged a glance. They knew what the cop was thinking. He could arrest them all now if he wanted too.

"Yes, but as we said, this is all off the record and as far as all your friends are concerned, this conversation never took place." Albert said

"And this 'mutually beneficial result'… What would that be?"

"I presume you've heard of a drug dealer named Hendon? I hear a lot of police resources have been spent attempting to arrest him. Imagine if you were the one to finally bring him down."

"You can get us Hendon? How? And why?"

"He got one of his men to stab Stacie" Danny said, speaking slowly, but clearly and for the first time since the policeman had entered the room, "He is _not_ going to get away with that"

"Why would he stab you" Zain asked, looking at Stacie," And why didn't you just tell me that before?"

"If we'd told you before, you would have arrested him, he would have come up with an alibi and he would be out by the end of the day" Mickey answered for her, "And then, he'd come looking for the rest of us for grassing" Zain nodded, and asked again,

"Why?"

"We've been planning to con him. Looks like he found out"

"Conning a drug dealers a dangerous game. Why him?"

"Because he was the one that beat up Eddie the barman a few weeks ago too"

"So you want me to go undercover because you're afraid they'll recognise you?" Zain guessed correctly.

"Yes" Albert answered honestly, "We will make it worth your while though"

"It'll be dangerous" Mickey put in, still worried about the detective getting hurt, or even killed. There was a short silence before DC Nadir glanced around all of them, and said,

"So what's the plan?"

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Tell me in your reviews :D**


	10. More Arguements

**A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers- Vikki; Hannah; X-Kate-X and sn0zb0z! Love you all lol**

**The score chapter 10**

"If you approach Hendon, and convince him that you're a dealer, you can sell him some drugs and then we'll tip off your friends at Sunhill." Mickey explained. The copper hesitated before asking,

"That's it? That's your plan?"

"What's wrong with it?" he asked a little defensively

"It's not exactly complex, is it? Anyway, it won't work. I usually work on the drugs cases, they'll expect me to interview him, and he'll name me as the dealer the second he sees me."

"Well what can we do then?"

"We could tell my superiors about this…" he mused

"No." Albert interrupted, "No more cops."

"How about one more? Maybe my sergeant? He won't tell anyone."

"No more." Albert said firmly.

"Then there's nothing I can do." Zain replied. Mickey and Albert exchanged a glance and Mickey said,

"Can you excuse us for a moment, DC Nadir?" The policeman nodded, standing up and leaving the room.

"What do you think?" Mickey asked

"I think we can trust him." Stacie said, looking out the door he'd left.

"He's right though, he would get recognised by Hendon." Ash pointed out.

"Then we can't use him" Mickey said firmly.

"I don't like coppers." Danny began, "But, if he's the only way to get back at Hendon, we just don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice Danny" Mickey argued

"He is not going to get away with this." Danny said, his voice rising slightly.

"I'm not going to put any of us at risk. And if Nadir can't do it by himself, then there's nothing we can do."

"How about I do it." Danny suggested

"No" Mickey said shortly

"I'm still pretty new to the group Mickey, he might not know me yet."

"And I'm not putting you in there based on a might."

"If you won't do it, I'll do it myself."

"Don't be an idiot Danny."

"You're the one that's acting like an idiot here Mickey. You're acting like you don't care about Stacie!"

"Of course I care." Mickey snapped

"Prove it." Danny taunted, "Let me do this." Mickey hesitated, and Danny thought he'd done it, however Mickey repeated,

"No. It's too dangerous" Danny reached for his coat, turning around and walking straight into Mickey. He glared at him, stepped around him and stormed out of the room.

"Get the cop back in here." Mickey said to Ash, staring after Danny. Ash nodded, leaving the room in search of him. Albert glanced at Mickey and Stacie, before standing up, making an excuse about needing the bathroom and left too, leaving Mickey and Stacie alone.

"It's not that I don't care." Mickey said awkwardly

"I know. I would do the same thing if I were you." Stacie said, "It's not worth Danny getting hurt over."

"Maybe if we…" Mickey started to suggest, but Stacie put her hand on his and said,

"Don't. You made the right call. It's not safe. I wasn't even sure about using the copper. Danny's just too big a risk." Mickey nodded, still staring ahead.

At that moment, Albert arrived back, Ash and the cop hot on his heels.

"Where's the other one. Danny?" Zain said, glancing around

"He had to go." Mickey said, "We've considered your offer of involving your superiors, and we've decided it's just not worth the risk. We've sorry we wasted your time."

"Okay" he nodded, "But if you change your mind you've got my card." Mickey nodded too, deciding that he would rip up that card the first chance he got so he wouldn't be tempted to seek vengeance on the drug dealer, risking lives in the process. As the policeman left, Mickey collapsed into a chair, reaching into his pocket for the card. He frowned when he realised it wasn't there. He glanced at the floor and all around the room, not spotting it anywhere. He relaxed back into his chair, deciding that losing it was just as good as ripping it up anyway.

Danny stood outside the hospital, watching the policeman drive away in the blue Vauxhall. He glanced at the card he had in his hand with the contact details of the cop on it that he'd swiped from Mickey's pocket when he walked into him. If Mickey didn't want to get revenge, it was down to him, hopefully with a little help from the cop along the way.

**A/N: So what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Tell me in your reviews- positive or negative!**


	11. Which cop?

**A/N: Thanks to all my great reviewers for the last chapter, namely- sn0zb0z, Vikki, Hannah and X-kate-X. You inspire me to write more, faster :D**

The Score 10

Danny hung around a bar for a couple of hours, building up the courage to call the cop again. He did what revenge for what Hendon had done to Stacie, he truly did, but there was a small part of him that agreed with Mickey. If, no when, Hendon found out what he'd done, he'd send one of his men to hurt or, maybe even kill him.

And there was the whole cop side to this. How much could they really trust this DC Zain Nadir? Everything about him radiated posh boy, untrustworthy policeman. Could Danny really take the risk in involving him? Then again, there was no way he could con Hendon without any assistance, and all of his friends were now dead set against going through with it. Did he really have any choice?

He'd heard rumours about a bent copper in this area, but he hadn't taken them seriously. However, the more he thought about it, the more this DC Zain Nadir fitted the description he'd heard from a few people. If what he suspected was correct, this Zain guy was dating a drug dealer and had nearly killed a small fry drug dealer for her recently. Was this really the type of guy he wanted to owe?

He took the small business card out of his pocket and looked at it thoughtfully. Could this smooth talking pretty boy that Stacie seemed so enamoured with really be involved in attempted murder? Then again, couldn't that be a good thing? Wouldn't a dangerous man on his side be a good thing? And once again, it really didn't look like he had a choice.

Then again, as Mickey said, there's always a choice, there's always options, he just wasn't looking hard enough. Then it hit him. That other copper, the woman, Samantha something, would she be interested in bringing in Hendon? He was a high profile drug dealer. Any sane copper would give their right arm to bring him in. She was beginning to look like a better option than this Zain guy. Especially as Hendon might know of him through Zain's drug dealing girlfriend.

He searched through his pockets wondering what he'd done with the card. Then it hit him. Mickey took it off him earlier. Which meant that it was still lying in the drawer back at the hotel. He couldn't risk going back there in case Mickey, Albert or Ash was looking for him. They might stop him leaving again. And he couldn't let anyone get in his way. He had to do this for Stacie.

So that left him with one option now that the Zain idea was out the window. He had to go to a police station voluntarily for the first time in his life.

**A/N: I know this chapters pretty short, but I promise, i won't be reverting back to my old really short chapter ways! As long as you review that is ;)**


	12. In the police station

**A/N: Thanks to my reviewers, Vikki, sn0zb0z and josephine78! You all make me smile :D**

The Score chapter 12

Danny stepped inside the station, immediately getting the feeling that everyone was staring at him, while in reality, a couple of people had glanced at him when he walked in the door. As his eyes rested on the sign that said "Sunhill Police Station" he had the overwhelming urge to bolt. He looked all around him quickly, wondering if anyone had recognised him. He jumped as he heard a voice speak to him,

"Can I help you sir?"

"Ahh…." Danny hesitated, before making his decision. No revenge was worth this torture, "No, I'll come back later." Secretly vowing to never return to this hell hole. Then he heard a female voice from behind him,

"Danny?" he spun around, and came face to face with DS Samantha Nixon, "What are you doing here?"

" It's about Stacie…" Danny said, looking around him again, still irrationally afraid of the police station.

"Stacie Monroe?" she asked. He nodded and she led him into a soft interview room closing the door behind her.

Danny looked around, instantly preferring this environment. There were armchairs and a table and it didn't look at all like what he thought a police station should look like. He sunk uneasily into one of the armchairs and the policewoman sat in the other. She asked,

"So why are you here Danny?"

"You heard about Stacie, right? She got stabbed."

"Yeah, DC Nadir was assigned to the case." She said, rising from her chair, "Would you prefer to talk to him?"

"No!" Danny half shouted, "No, no thank you." He repeated quieter this time.

"Why not?" she asked, sitting down again.  
"I just don't want to talk to him, that's all." Danny said, getting defensive, "I want to talk to you."

"Okay" she said, leaning back in her chair, "So what do you know about Ms. Monroe's assault?"

"If I tell you something, will you keep it off the record?" he asked, she nodded, so he went on, "We know who did it, but we don't want to tell. You know what things are like, he'll be released in no time. We want the guy that did it punished…" Sam interrupted him,

"You won't get away with half killing whoever did this you know."

"That's not how we work," Danny said, quoting Mickey "We're going to get him arrested with a lot of cocaine in his possession. We were wondering if we could count on your support." The policewoman stared at him for a while and he began to feel even more uncomfortable than before. Finally she spoke,

"Where's Mickey?" Danny was thrown by this question, not expecting her to bring up any of his gang, except of course Stacie.

"Why?" he asked

"He's in charge, and this clearly means a lot to you, so why would he send you here instead of coming himself?" she wondered aloud, "Unless of course, he doesn't know you're here…"

"Mickey doesn't want anyone else to get hurt." Danny said slowly, "He doesn't understand that more people will get killed if Hendon isn't put away!"

"Hendon? Matthew Hendon? He was the one that did this?" Sam asked. Danny swore under his breath, not meaning to have given away the identity of Stacie's attacker just yet.

"He's dangerous, he needs put away." Danny went on, "We need your help to do it. We need someone to go undercover and plant some drugs on him before someone else arrests him. We get revenge, you get safer streets, everyone's happy."

"Zain's usually the undercover guy." The detective said, frowning.

"We can't use him." Danny replied bluntly, "We need someone else."

"Why can't you use him though?" Sam asked questioningly

"Because, Hendon probably knows him."

"Through his undercover work." Sam realised, nodding. Danny looked up, surprised that the woman knew of Zain's dalliance with local drug dealer Kristen Shaw.

"How about the man I was with earlier. Phil Hunter. He was talking to Stacie ." Sam reminded him. Danny nodded in recognition. That morning seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Anyone will do. I just want Hendon brought down."

"Wait here until I get him then." Sam said, leaving him alone in the room. Danny sighed, feeling a little more relaxed now. This was going better than he'd originally thought it would anyway. A few moments later, Sam returned with the man that had been flirting with Stacie earlier outside the hotel. He nodded to Danny by way of greeting , and let Sam sit in the only remaining chair, standing by her side.

"So will you do it?" Danny asked, going straight to the point. Sam and Phil traded a glance, Phil leant down and whispered something in her ear and she nodded. Danny just watched, wondering if the two coppers had some sort of history between them, they certainly acted like Stacie and Mickey did. Real close and personal. Finally, DS Hunter spoke,

"I'm in."

**A/N: Like? Hate? In a state of confusion? Review me so i know :D**


	13. Planning

**A/N:thanks once again to sn0zb0z, Vikki, Becki, and X-Kate-X( dont worry about not reviewing lol. most ppl just dont bother to review at all)**

**For those of you who don't watch the Bill,**

**DS Phil Hunter- tall, brown hair, athletic, occasionally aggressive, low attention span, philanderer. In love with DS Nixon (He hasn't admitted it yet but we all know he is. Although they've never actually gone out, they're supposed to be just good friends, for now at least.**

**DS Samantha Nixon- shortish, long blonde hair, very smart, dating a policeman called DS Stuart Turner but should really be going out with Phil Hunter. **

Chapter 13- unlucky for some ;)

"So what do you need me to do?" the detective asked.

"Nothing too important." Danny thought aloud, "If you're the roper, I'll be the inside man."

"The what?" he looked confused. Danny sighed and prepared to explain, but the female copper got in there first, rolling her eyes as she spoke,

"The roper's the one that 'ropes' in the victim, Hendon in this case. The inside man in the main man. He'll be the one that organises the exchange of money, and is basically in charge throughout the con. Sometimes the roper pretends to be reeled in too, for authenticity, right?" Sam asked, looking at Danny for conformation. He nodded, wondering how she knew so much about the life of a conman. DS Hunter was clearly thinking the same thing for he asked the question that was on both their minds,

"Sam, how did you know that?"

"Some of us listen in meetings Phil." She replied

"I already told you, I had a sore head." The man replied.

"You admitted you hadn't listened to a word Neil said." Sam argued. Danny cleared his throat to remind them both he was still in the room. As a conman, he was good at reading people's strengths and weaknesses. If he was to try and con either of these coppers, he knew that the other would be the way in. They seemed to hate, yet love each other at the same time. He hoped that his relationship with Stacie could be like that one day, preferably in the near future.

"Sorry." Sam replied, looking embarrassed, "You were saying about Phil being the roper?" Danny shot each of them an annoyed glance before continuing,

"If he can approach Hendon, and convince him that I'm a big time drug dealer who's willing to sell to him, then I can give him the drugs, call in some police and get him arrested."

"That is so not going to work." Phil pointed out

"You got any better ideas?" Danny snapped

"No, but you do realise, the second Hendon's arrested, he's going to name you as a drug dealer. You'll get the same sentence as him."

"I will?" Danny asked. He hadn't thought about that

"Unless we make it an official police investigation…" Sam said

"Okay, do that then." Danny said, growing impatient with the polices' roundabout way of doing things.

"To do that, we'll need Ms. Monroe to name Hendon as her attacker and as a drug dealer." Sam said, exchanging a glance with Phil. "Do you think you can convince her to do it?" Danny sighed in frustration. He hadn't expected that. Stacie might assist the police, if it meant getting Hendon off the streets once and for all, but there was no way Mickey would let her.

"I can try." He said, standing up to leave, "I'll call you in a bit if she agrees, if not, then I'll think of something else. He is _not_ going to get away with this."

"Maybe you should just let it go." Sam tentatively suggested, "If Stacie can, why can't you?"

"I… I just can't" Danny snapped back. When did it become her business anyway? Phil stood up, leading him out of the room, apparently deciding that this conversation was over. DS Nixon stayed in the seat, looking lost in thought.

HUSTLE HUSTLE HUSTLE

As he and DS Hunter reached the door of the police station, Phil looked like he was trying to decide something. Danny decided that he wasn't going to return to a police station, ever, if he could help it. He began to walk in the general direction of the hospital to see Stacie again when Phil called to him,

"Danny! I know where you're coming from… If it was someone that I cared about as much as you care about Stacie in that hospital bed… I would want revenge too, but try not to do anything stupid, okay? I'll get Zain working on something. We'll get Hendon one way or another." Danny nodded, feeling a strange sense of gratitude towards the police man. He somehow knew that he would do what he could to get Hendon, but he wasn't sure if there was much that he could do.

HUSTLE HUSTLE HUSTLE

He walked for twenty minutes, and eventually reached the hospital. He went up the stairs two at a time, desperate to see Stacie again and ask her about giving evidence against Hendon. When he heard Mickey's voice echoing down from the top of the stairs, he walked through a door, left it ajar and listened to Mickey, Ash and Albert's conversation as this walked down the stairs.

"I'm starting to get worried about Danny." Mickey said,

"He'll be fine." Ash interrupted, "I'm more worried about what the food in the canteen's going to taste like."

"What if he goes after Hendon though?" Mickey asked Albert, ignoring Ash, "He cares about Stacie a lot."

"He's brighter than you'd think." Albert said. Danny didn't know whether to take this as an insult or a complement. "He wouldn't do anything without telling us first."

"I don't know, he seemed pretty annoyed. I shouldn't have let him just go like that."

"You couldn't have stopped him." Ash argued, "You'd just have made him angrier."

"The last time I let one of us out while they were angry, she got stabbed. What if Hendon went after him?"

"Stop worrying." Ash said. After a few more minutes in which Danny heard nothing, he resumed his climb up the stairs, and knocked on Stacie's door, before entering.

**A/n: Like it? Hate it? Notice my conscious attempt to make this chapter longer? Press the big blue button and make me smile **


	14. Romance in the hospital room

**A/N I know this chap is quite short compared to the last one i wrote, but please be sympathetic lol. I wrote this on a pen and paper during my 24 hour power cut! I know, shock horror lol. I assure you I nearly died. Anyway about the fic, I was going to scrap it, changed my mind, and now here it is for all of you to read :D**

**Thanks to my reviewers- Sn0zb0z, ScarletMonroe, X-Kate-X and the-tangoing-mango-addict. :D Reviewers are great, aren't they ;)**

**Oh and this is a very Danny/Stacie heavy chapter. yay for those who like that, tough to those who don't ;)**

Danny started through the window of Stacie's room, taking in her immense beauty and reminding himself that she was the real reason he was doing all this. Her dark hair was unwashed, she didn't have any makeup on and she was wearing a shapeless hospital gown, but Danny had never fully appreciated how beautiful she truly was until that moment. He slipped inside the now nearly empty room and coughed to draw attention to himself. Her eyes flicked up from the magazine she was scanning and widened slightly as she realised who it was. She dropped the magazine to the bed and asked,

"Danny! Where've you been?"

"There was something I had to do." He replied, perching on the end of her bed, knocking the discarded magazine to the floor, "So where's everyone else."

"They're all at the canteen. Mickey's been worrying about you, you know. We all were." She stared at him, the concern evident on her face. Danny looked down at the floor. He hadn't intended making Stacie worry.

"I can look after myself you know." He answered

"I know." She agreed, "But that didn't stop me from worrying. Hendon's a dangerous man."

"Well some things just have to be done. Some people just have to be taught a lesson." Danny replied, still feeling guilty that he'd made Stacie worry. A horrified look appeared on her face,

"Tell me you didn't go after him Danny!" there was a strange mixture of anger and fear lacing her words.

"Not directly." He was still staring at the floor, unable to look at her face lest he see disapproval in her eyes, "I just seem to be the only one to realise that there are other options available to us."

"What other options Danny?" she questioned, the anger growing more prominent.

"The police." He replied, pausing for dramatic effect. Unfortunately, the effect was ruined as she interrupted,

"We tried that already. We can't do it with one cop."

"You're right." He agreed, "But it'll work with me acting as the inside man. That copper you were talking to earlier, Phil Hunter, he'll be the roper."

"No Danny! It's too dangerous." She argued.

"I'll be fine." He replied dismissively

"Mickey won't let you."

"He doesn't have to know."

"I'll tell him."

"No you won't" he said confidently

"What makes you think I won't?" she asked curiously, knowing that he was right. He stood up and rounded the bed to sit near her. He lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned in so their faces were inches away,

"Because you're angry. Because he hurt Eddie and you and he got away with it."

"True." She replied, her voice as soft as his, "But I'm not so angry that I'm prepared to let you risk your life." Danny looked surprised. He hadn't expected that answer,

"I need to do this." He whispered, hearing the desperation in his voice and hating it.

"Why?" she asked

"Because," he muttered, his voice rising.

"Because why." She pressed.

"Because the last time you needed help, Mickey saved you. Now it's my turn." He admitted

"I'm not a damsel in distress Danny! I don't need to be saved!" she snapped, the anger once again prominent.

"Maybe not." He admitted, "But maybe, just once, I need to save you."

"Why?" she repeated, knowing his answer, but needing to hear it for herself. Before she knew it, Danny was leaning in and kissing her softly. Just like the last time, he reached up to cup her cheek, but this time she didn't push him off. A few moments later, he broke away and mumbled

"That's why."

"Oh." She sighed.

"I need to do this." Danny continued as if nothing had happened, "And I need your help."

"In case you haven't noticed Danny, I'm stuck in hospital."

"I just need you to tell the police that Hendon stabbed you and that he's a drug dealer. I can deal with it from there."

'Okay." She agreed, not quite knowing why.

"Great! I'll go call Phil." He stood up, half running to the door of her room, just in case she were to change her mind. Stacie sighed and leant back onto her uncomfortable hospital pillow and sighed. Why did she have the feeling she'd just been conned by Danny Blue?

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Somewhere in between? Review and let me know :D**


	15. In love?

**Thanks to all my reviewers- sn0zb0z, vikki, NIXONSPARKLE and X-Kate-X**

**I apologise in advance to all readers for the crapness this chapter is. I couldn't think at all his weekend, but i knew i hadn't updated in ages due to the virus my comps contracted, so i decided to try anyway. here it is**

The score chapter 15

Danny leant against the wall just outside Stacie's hospital room and sighed, a slow smile spreading across his face. He hadn't intended on kissing her, but he'd sensed an opportunity and Danny Blue had never been one to let an opportunity pass by him.

Honestly, part of the reason he'd decided to take the leap and try it on with her again was he needed something to make her agree. He'd been so sure that she would immediately say yes straight after hearing his plan. He'd known that once he spoke to her away from Mickey, she'd be so eager to take revenge, she'd definitely want Hendon to go down. Turns out he was wrong and he'd had to resort to other methods to get his own way.

It wasn't all about that though. Once upon a time, Danny had had strong feelings for Stacie. He would have never admitted it out loud of course; he had a reputation to uphold, however, at the time, he was almost certain he was in love with her. But when she'd rejected him… well needless to say it had hurt, and he'd felt more than a little humiliated.

At first, he hadn't known how to act around her anymore. He wasn't sure what she wanted him to do, what she wanted him to say. Danny had known he had a decision to make. He could either dwell on his apparently unrequited love, or he could move on with his life, salvaging what remained of their friendship.

He had, of course chosen the latter, and things got mostly back to normal. He forced himself to stop fooling himself with hopes that she would eventually come around, and he concentrated on his friendship with her.

However when he'd heard she'd been stabbed, his blood had ran cold. He'd never felt so petrified for another person in his entire life. In that moment, he knew he still had feelings for her. Maybe even loved her. But at the same time, he knew he had to step back and let Mickey take charge. He knew Mickey loved her in some way too, and he was the leader, so it was only right he did what had to be done.

When it became clear Mickey wasn't going to do the right thing, Danny knew he had to take over. Which brought him back to the kissing.

Danny had kissed a lot of girls in his life, but Stacie was different. He'd never felt that way about a girl before, so he was determined not to screw it up.

He straightened up and decided to head towards the pay phone before Stacie started getting worried when he heard a voice call his name. He turned and groaned as he saw Mickey approach him,

"Where've you been?" he asked, "We've been worried."

"I just took a walk" Danny lied, "I needed some space to think."

"Have you seen Stacie yet? She thought you were going to go after Hendon or do something equally stupid."

"No. I'm on my way in now."

"Look, I know you're probably still annoyed that we aren't going after Hendon anymore, but it was the right thing to do. Imagine how Stacie would feel if someone else got hurt because of us going after Hendon. It wouldn't be right to ask people to do that. There'll be other marks, other ways to impress Stacie."

"It wasn't about impressing her." Danny said, before entering Stacie's room leaving Mickey wondering what had brought about this change in Danny.

He was going to follow Danny inside then changed his mind. Danny and Stacie deserved some time alone together after Stacie's ordeal and he knew that Danny was the guy to cheer her up. He knew that Danny had a crush on Stacie, but he was aware that Stacie still had a crush on him, so he knew her and Danny wouldn't be starting something anytime soon.

He didn't know exactly why he was so adverse to a relationship between Danny and Stacie, but he suspected it had something to do with his own past with Stacie. Although he'd moved on, he still had some sort of feelings towards her, and he didn't want Stacie seeing anyone else until he could figure out the extent of those feelings. However he knew that it wasn't his decision to make, and that sooner or later Danny would try it on with Stacie. Mickey could only hope that when that time came, she would reject him.

**told you it was crap lol, but make my day and review anyway :D**


	16. Choices

**A big thanks to Vikki, sn0zb0z, X-Kate-X and Hannah**

**im glad i cheered you up Kate lol**

Chapter 16

"Did you call him?" Stacie asked as soon as Danny returned to the room. Danny shook his head,

"No, I ran into Mickey. Had to pretend I was on my way up here."

"What took you so long? You were away for ages."

"Not really…"

"It doesn't matter anyway. I'm still not sure if I want to go through with this plan. Mickey's right, it's an accident waiting to happen."

"If I get hurt, I won't blame you at all."

"And if you get killed? Men like Hendon are capable of anything."

"It wouldn't be your fault." He said firmly

"Do you think that'll be any consolation whatsoever? You'd be dead. And everyone else would blame me. They wouldn't say it to my face, but I'd know. And why is that copper Phil Hunter doing it? He has children you know. If he gets murdered what do you think'll happen to them?"

"I didn't know." Danny said, the possibility of the copper getting killed only occurring to him now.

"We can't do this Danny. Too many people are at risk."

"He volunteered, and he's a cop. He knows the dangers. He could be killed any day, hell he could fall under a bus."

"If he fell under a bus, it wouldn't be my fault." Stacie said firmly, although Danny could tell that her resolve was beginning to waver.

"Please Stacie, I need to…" he began

"No Danny. Don't do that little speech again. For once in your life, do the right thing and tell the truth. You didn't kiss me because you want me. You did it so you could get your way as usual. For some reason, you've decided that you need to bring Hendon down. Don't make this about me. For you, it never was." She said somewhat coldly.

"It was always about you." Danny argued, surprising himself with his honesty

"Whatever. Just call the cop. I'll agree to whatever you want me to say. And if either of you get hurt, it's your problem, not mine." She said coolly

"Fine." Danny snapped back, storming out of the room, letting the door slam behind him. Stacie watched him go, feeling a little guilty. She knew she was being hard on him, knew that he did care, of course he did, but sometimes he cared too much. She thought a little tough love would have made him back away from this foolhardy plan, but she was wrong. She now knew it would be best to just let him run with his idea, and hope for the best.

* * *

A few minutes later, Danny returned and sat in one of the chairs, facing away from her. A stony silence fell over them, and Stacie felt the need to break it, 

"So… is he coming?"

"He'll be here in five minutes." The silence befell them again.

"I'm sorry." Stacie suddenly blurted out, "I know you care. I'm just worried."

"It's okay." He said begrudgingly "and I'm sorry too. You're right, I did kiss you to get you to agree."

"Oh." Stacie said, surprised to feel her heart sink a little at his words. She was confused. Danny was the one who liked her, not the other way round. Why did everything have to become so confusing?

"It wasn't just about that." He corrected himself almost immediately

"Okay" she replied, once again surprised at how disheartened she sounded.

"No really" he began, but was interrupted by a knock on the door, and the entrance of DS Phil Hunter.

"Not interrupting anything am I?"

"No." they both sighed simultaneously, making it clear that he actually was.

"Okay then, let's get started." He said, taking out a notebook, "So where were you when the crime took place?"

Danny watched Stacie's statement being taken with a mixture of emotions. He was of course relieved she was finally revealing the truth about what happened to her to the police, so they could get their revenge, however he was filled with rage as he saw the terror in her eyes as she recalled her ordeal. At one point, when she was recounting the actual stabbing, she was shaking slightly

"I thought they were going to kill me." She said, in a hoarse voice, "Then they stuck the knife into me, and they said I couldn't tell anyone or they'd kill my friends. And I couldn't let that happen. They're the closest thing I have to family." She broke off, looking warmly at Danny. He didn't respond. He hadn't heard that part of her story before, but he knew she was telling the truth and that made him even angrier.

Did Mickey know what they'd said? Was that why he wouldn't let the con go on any further? Was that why he was reluctant to let the police do their job? Had he known about this the whole time and had kept it a secret from everyone else? The new knowledge didn't scare him anymore. It only made him more determined. He was going to get the man that stabbed Stacie and had threatened his family.

* * *

Mickey walked towards Stacie's room, assuming that Danny would have had plenty of time to cheer Stacie up by now. He was about to go inside, when he noticed someone else inside the room. Someone he recognised… Then suddenly he realised that it was the policeman he and Danny saw earlier outside the hotel. The one that Stacie had spent so long chatting to and he entered the room, wondering what he was doing there, 

"Hello." Mickey said, in a tone that told the policeman his presence was not at all welcomed.

"I'm DS Phil Hunter" the man introduced himself, confirming his identity to Mickey

"And what are you doing here?" he asked, getting straight to the point

"Stacie wanted to make some edits to her statement."

"What sort of edits?" Mickey asked in a dangerously low voice.

"I'm sorry Mickey" Stacie said, "We need to get Hendon off the streets; I'd never forgive myself if he hurt someone else because I hadn't gotten him arrested." Mickey looked at Danny, convinced that he had something to do with this,

"It was her choice." Danny said, before asking the policeman, "Are we done here?"

"I think so." He said, scanning the statement, "If you could just sign here…" he indicted a place on the bottom of the page to Stacie.

Stacie hesitantly looked between Danny and Mickey, knowing that this was the inevitable choice between them that she had always known was coming,

_It's funny_ she thought as she signed the dotted line, _I always thought I would've chosen Mickey._

**Press the big blue button. You know you want to!**


	17. The beginning of the end?

**Thanks to Vikki, sn0zb0z, Hannah and Josephine78 for reviewing! Hope you enjoy this chapter**

Chapter 17

"What do you think you're doing?" Mickey exploded as soon as the cop left

"The right thing. For once." Stacie replied, echoing what she'd earlier said to Danny.

"You told me what Hendon said. As soon as he's out, he'll come looking for us."

"Then we'll just have to make sure he doesn't get out." Danny argued

"How?"

"By going ahead with the original con." Danny replied, "And it will work. I'll make sure of it."

"I can't let you do this. He'll kill you."

"It'll be okay Mickey." Stacie said in a reassuring voice, "Danny can look after himself."

"I hope so, because if Hendon comes looking for you, I can't ask Ash or Albert to protect you. He's too dangerous." Mickey said

"I know." Danny said in a hollow voice, the weight of what he was about to do finally setting in, "I'd better go to the police station."

"I'll drive you." Mickey said, deciding he would attempt to talk him out of it on the way.

"No, I'd rather walk." He answered, "It'll give me time to think and all,"

"Bye Danny." Stacie said somewhat sadly, as he moved towards the door

"Well it's been nice knowing you all." He made a feeble attempt at a joke, before disappearing into the crowded hospital corridor.

* * *

He took the scenic route to the police station, because although he knew Hendon probably wouldn't dare have him killed whilst the police were watching, he couldn't shake the terrifying feeling that today would be his last. When he finally arrived, he saw DS Sam Nixon and DS Phil Hunter standing outside waiting on him. 

"You took your time." Phil barked

"Sorry." He muttered, not in the mood to argue, "So we going ahead with this?"

"Yeah, my DCI gave me permission for this operation."

"Okay." Danny replied in a hoarse voice

'Are you okay Danny?" Sam asked,

"Never felt better." He lied, "So what happens now."

"Well I'm ready to go if you are?" Phil said, looking far too nonchalant. For the first time it hit Danny, this copper had no idea of the danger he was possibly heading into.

"Hendon's dangerous." He suddenly blurted out,

"Don't worry." Phil said, "We'll make sure nothing happens to you, or your girlfriend."

"I don't have a girlfriend." He frowned

"Oh, sorry." He backtracked, "It was just something Stacie said to me this morning."

"What did she say?" Danny said. Despite all the pressure, all the terror he felt, he felt considerably better at the mention of Stacie.

"It was nothing." Phil brushed off, "You ready to get on your vest?"

"Vest?"

"Bullet proof vest." Sam explained, "You didn't think we'd send you in there without one, did you?"

"Yeah, actually I did." He admitted, feeling a little embarrassed.

"We're aware of how dangerous Hendon is, but we've dealt with worse," Sam said, exchanging a glance with DS Hunter, "We assure you, everything will go okay."

"Okay then." Danny said, feeling a little better, but not much, "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

"How did he get you to agree? Mickey asked, pacing the small room. 

"He didn't. It's the right thing to do." Stacie repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

"He could get killed you know."

"He promised he wouldn't. He said anything that happened to him wouldn't be my fault."

"And it wouldn't be." Mickey agreed, "But you and I both know that wouldn't stop you feeling like it was."

"He kissed me." She said suddenly, needing to get it out in the open.

"What?" Mickey asked, thrown.

"Danny. He kissed me to get me to agree. Fed me some lie about needing to do this and like an idiot I went along with it."

"He kissed you?" Mickey said, still seeming to be stuck on that part.

"I'm sorry." Stacie said, not sure if she meant it or not.

"Don't be." Mickey replied, looking hurt, "It's just, I thought we had a…" he stopped, not knowing how to finish his sentence.

"So did I." She answered, feeling strange talking about this to Mickey "But then Danny kissed me, and everything changed, you know?"

"Yeah. I know." Mickey agreed.

"I'm sorry." She repeated

"It's okay." He sounded firmer, getting himself together, "But are you sure you want him to go through with this?"

"No." she answered honestly, "But his minds made up."

"You could change it."

"Maybe." She admitted

"I could go find him now. Tell him that you don't want him to do this. That you've changed your mind."

"He'll not believe you."

"Oh believe me, he'll be so scared, he'll be looking for an excuse to get out. I've been in a similar situation myself once." He explained. He looked at her, waiting for her reaction. After what felt like a lifetime, but had only been a few seconds, she slowly inclined her head and uttered one word

"Go."

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	18. The con and threats

**Big thanks to sn0zb0z, Vikki, Hannah, Joesphine78 and X-Kate-X for reviewing, and Hannah for reminding me to update**

**Chapter 18**

Mickey's car skidded to a halt outside of Sunhill police station. He grabbed the keys and clambered out as fast as possible, ignoring the traffic warden's cries of,

"You're not allowed to park here" and headed inside. The young woman at the reception looked up, startled by his hasty entrance.

"Can I help you sir?" She asked.

"Is DC Zain Nadir here?" he asked, every other copper's name completely blanking his mind.

"I'll call him." She picked up the phone by the desk, still eyeing him warily. Mickey listened to her side of the conversation,

"Zain, there's a man here to see you…. Yes I know, but…" she broke off, rolling her eyes at Mickey, "He wants to know who you are. DC Nadir doesn't often grace us with his presence down here, unless it's something important."

"Mickey Stone." He replied, with a reassuring smile. She repeated the name to the impatient copper on the other end, and rolled her eyes again as she put down the phone,

"He just hung up on me, without even saying thanks. That man is impossible."

"I know the type." Mickey agreed; glad that he'd caught them before they'd left. A few moments later, Zain arrived in the reception area. He spotted Mickey within seconds, and led him into one of the interview rooms without a word to the receptionist, who muttered,

"You're welcome by the way," loud enough for both Mickey and Zain to hear her.

"Ignore her, she's a temperamental cow" Zain said, slamming the door behind him.

"Okay…" Mickey said, wondering if this was normal conduct for a police station. He did try to avoid them as much of possible of course, so he was relatively in the dark on how they acted around each other. Zain must have noticed his look and explained,

"She's my sister."

"Oh." Mickey said. Suddenly their snappiness with one another all made sense.

"So you wanted to see me?" he instantly became all business again

"I just wanted to make sure you hadn't left yet."

"I'm not going anywhere." He said, looking a little confused

"Then where's Danny?" Mickey asked, wondering if his confusion was as clear as the coppers.

"Danny Blue? Haven't seen him since the hospital. Why?"

"But he said he that you were going to take down Hendon…"

"Right now all I'm doing is paperwork. If there'd been something better going, I would have done it instead."

"Well what about the other one, Phil?"

"I don't know, he went out about half an hour ago."

"Was Danny with him?" Mickey was beginning to feel desperate.

"Maybe. I don't know, why does it matter?"

"Because he's going to get himself killed."

"He'll be fine." Zain brushed it off, "But if you're that worried, I'll call Phil and ask him." Mickey nodded, and Zain took out his mobile, swiftly dialling a number. After a few moments of silence, Zain started to speak,

"Serge, it's Zain. Mickey Stone's down at the station, we need to know if Danny's with you. Call me when you get this message." He hung up, and headed towards the door,

"Leave your number with my delightful sister, I'll call you when Phil calls back." He ordered, before heading back upstairs to CID. Mickey sighed in frustration. The police were so useless. No wonder they could never catch them. He'd have to do some searching of his own.

* * *

Danny clutched the pint class in his hand, watching Phil talk to Hendon from the corner of his eye. He'd been talking to him for an awfully long time, and he was really beginning to worry that he was screwing it up. Finally, Sam's voice crackled in his ear, from the speaker they'd given him, 

"He's bought it."

"Matthew, this is Rob Cameron." Phil introduced Danny under his false name. It seemed so alien to hear people refer to Hendon as Matthew. And Danny glanced up at him, expecting a wave of terror to rush through him. However, none came. This was what he did. Now he was back in control, no one could stop him.

"And?" he said, playing the annoyed, brash, impatient character that he was so used to seeing Mickey play.

"And he's interested in the pair of you reaching some sort of arrangement." Phil said. He was a good actor, no question of that, he had managed to convince Hendon to come over to him, but Danny could sense underlying currents of worry. The sooner Phil got out of there, the better.

* * *

The negotiations over the drugs were slow.. Hendon kept offering Danny amounts that were ridiculously low, and Danny was beginning to get the feeling that Hendon was testing him, seeing if he really was a dealer, out for money. Danny knew there was no chance he was going to be allowed to keep any money that Hendon did eventually hand over, and thus had no interest whatsoever in the final amount, as long as it was believable. Eventually, they reached a deal, and Danny handed him the drugs in an envelope, pocketing the cash he was handed, and headed towards the door at a brisk pace, knowing he had to get out of there as fast as possible. 

He had no sooner reached the doorway, when a few cops appeared from no where, arresting Hendon. Hendon called out to Danny, saying he would find him and that he would hurt everyone he cared about. Danny stood still, unsure what to do.

"Go outside Danny." Phil shouted, attempting to bring Hendon under control.

"Danny?" Hendon instantly said, "Danny Blue? Didn't you learn your lesson after your little girlfriend was involved in that dreadful… accident." Danny, started to move back towards Hendon, his rage blinding him, when someone caught his arm.

"Let's go outside." Sam said, pulling him towards the door,

* * *

Once outside, Danny felt his anger subside considerably as he got away from the hot and tense atmosphere of the pub. 

"What now?" he asked shortly

"We'll stop him getting his phone call. He can't hurt you if no one knows that you set him up."

"Okay. Do I need to give a statement?" He asked, wondering how this would work

"We should have enough to charge him without your help, but I'll call you if we don't."

"Personally, I'll be glad if I never have to see you again." Danny said, both jokingly, and honestly at the same time.

"We'll drop the investigation into you and your friends for now. You've helped a lot."

"Thanks." Danny said, heading in the direction of the hospital.

"Danny! The money!" she called after him

"Yeah… okay." He handed it back, completely untouched, flashed her a grin and hailed a coming taxi, directing it to take him to the hospital.

* * *

He bounded up the stairs, two at a time, and burst into Stacie's room. 

"You're back!" Stacie said, the relief evident in her voice

"Yep, and the police have Hendon."

"So Mickey didn't find you?"

"No… why?"

"He went looking for you, said he'd stop you getting yourself killed. He left over two hours ago, I'm starting to get worried." Just then, the mobile in Danny's pocket began to ring again, and the caller display flashed a name Danny had hoped to never see again

"_Phil Hunter_"

**I'm thinking there'll be one, maybe 2 more chaps to this fic. tell me what you think when you review.**


	19. Retirement

**Chapter 19 **

**Thanks to Hannah, X-Kate-X and sn0zb0z for reviewing.**

**This is the final chapter of the score. so enjoy**

Stacie looked on as Danny answered his mobile, well aware it was against hospital rules. She listened to his side of the conversation,

"Yeah…. Go on…. So are we. Whereabouts... okay." And he hung up, leaving the other three con artists wondering what had just happened.

"Who was it?" Ash asked

"The police." He said, staring at the pattern on Stacie's bedcovers, unable to look anyone in the eye

"Do they need you to make a statement?" Danny shook his head

"It's Mickey… He's been hurt, probably by Hendon."

"Where is he?" Albert asked

"Downstairs, getting operated on now."

"I'll go find out what's happening." Ash said before disappearing from the room. Albert followed swiftly, leaving Danny and Stacie alone together for the first time since Stacie gave the statement.

"This is our fault." She said, her voice sounding hollow

"It's not." Danny argued, trying to reassure her despite thinking the same thing himself.

"It is! Hendon warned us to stay away, and you went ahead anyway."

"Then it's my fault, not yours."

"I sent him after you, to tell you to stop. He'd still be here if I hadn't."

"You're making it sound like he's dead."

"He might be."

"Don't overreact; he's probably just been beaten up a bit."

"Even that shouldn't have happened!"

"At least Hendon's away now. He won't be able to hurt anyone else again."

"Until he gets out." Stacie said sounding exasperated

"That'll be a long time away."  
"He could still come for us."

"I'll protect you when he does."

"We might not even know each other then Danny!"

"We will. I guarantee it."

"The others might not want you to stay with us after what happened to Mickey. They'll blame you even if he doesn't."

"Do you blame me?"

"A bit." She admitted.

"You wish it was me instead of him don't you?"

"Of course not!"

"You've always liked him more; it was obvious from the start." He went on, sadness and anger in his voice.

"Don't be stupid Danny."

"I'm not being stupid. Just honest." He said, turning on his heel and leaving the small room.

* * *

"What's happening?" he asked Ash as he appeared by his side

"He ran into one of Hendon's men. They stabbed him too." Ash said, and Danny saw the rage in the normally calm Ash's eyes.

"You should have listened to Mickey." Albert said, and Danny couldn't stand the disappointment he heard in his voice.

"He stabbed Stacie." Danny reused his old argument, noticing for the first time how feeble it actually was.

"And now he's stabbed Mickey. What're you going to do now Danny?"

"I don't know." He said feeling very much like a naughty schoolboy, yet knowing his crime was so much worse than that.

"Well you'd better work it out, because Mickey's going to want answers when he gets out of here."

"I know." Danny said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done the con. And…. I can't do this anymore."

"Do what?" Ash asked

"This. Con people. Too many people get hurt."

"You've never had a proper job Danny, how're you going to get by?"

"I'll work something out." He said, turning on his heel and heading towards the main door, "Tell Mickey I'm sorry. And tell Stacie… Tell her goodbye." He called over his shoulder as he left.

"I didn't want him to quit." Albert said

"Leave him. He'll be back. He's just upset." Ash said confidently

"I hope so."

* * *

** there's a sequal in the pipeline, probably not as long as this one turned out, but you never know. **

**Please review**


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